Private Praise vs. Public Praise - The Connection

Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. I Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

Why is it important for us to take our praise with us when we leave church on Sunday? There are believers and churchgoers who feel the only place we can praise God is at church. But I'd like to share a few reasons why it's important to engage in intentional, private praise in addition to the public worship experience:

Your Victory. People who praise and worship God in private continuously walk in victory.

Your Preparation. People who praise God in private are best prepared for the congregational praise and worship experience. (Ps. 113:3)

Your Power. Exuberant, heartfelt praise is a powerful weapon against the enemy. When you speak the praises of God out of your mouth with a heart full of faith, you are empowering yourself to stand any test.

Your Focus/Attitude. How big is God to you? Do you see Him as highly exalted and ruling over His creation? (Psalm 97:9; Psalm 24:1) What we feed into our minds affects our focus.

Your Blessing. Praising God in private primes us for the manifest blessings of God.

The Change. People who praise God in private see an atmospheric change in their daily lives.

Don't leave your praise at the church - take it with you! Live your life in praise to God.

I just believe we get so much more out of the corporate worship experience when we have spent time in God's presence when we're NOT at church. Praise and worship are not confined to the Sunday service!